UFC Fight Night 107: Jimi Manuwa vs Corey Anderson

London welcomes back the UFC for Fight Night 107 where the Londoner, Jimi Manuwa, will host American brawler Corey Anderson for a date inside the octagon. It will be the knock-out artist versus the wrestling coach in a fascinating match-up, with the winner one step closer to a title shot.

‘The Poster Boy’ Manuwa came out of nowhere and really lit up the UFC stage with his terrifying power, helping him collect 14 wins without defeat, finishing every opponent (13 via KO/TKO and one via submission). That was until he met Alexander Gustafsson - one of the best light heavyweights in the world and the only fighter to really test Jon Jones. Following this loss, Manuwa earned a decision against Jan Blachowicz but then met a monster in Anthony Johnson and succumbed to his second knock-out loss. These losses were a set-back for Manuwa, however his stock was still high as Gustafsson and Johnson are elite fighters and worthy champions in another era. Manuwa proved this by getting back to his old ways and knocking out fellow top contender in Ovince Saint Preux to set up this fight with Corey Anderson. Anderson also only has two losses to his name and will be a tough test for Manuwa. He will surely rely on his exceptional wrestling base to wear Manuwa down and grind out a win but more importantly, avoid his opponent's fight-ending power in all four limbs.

For a statistical breakdown, please see below:

The co-main features two rising stars in the welterweight division; Gunnar Nelson and Alan Jouban. Jouban is on a tear at the moment, winning five of his last six fights, with his one loss inflicted by Albert Tumenov. Worryingly for Jouban, this is the man that Nelson finished in his last fight via a slick rear-naked choke. Although Nelson is small for the division, his skill set is a worry to anyone. His grappling is a different class and he has a natural ability to control larger opponents. Jouban will prefer to avoid the grappling of Nelson and utilise his accomplished Muay Thai skills; no easy task as Nelson is also a Karate expert with the most accurate significant strike percentage in the UFC. This promises to be a thrilling match-up.

For a statistical breakdown, please see below:

The next fight will be Brad Pickett’s swansong inside the octagon. London’s own has announced that he will be retiring after this fight and will want nothing more than to end his pioneering career with a big finish. He was scheduled to fight Henry Briones, however he pulled out a week before the fight and has been replaced by Ecuadorian, Marlon Vera. Vera is a stronger grappler so Pickett will have to adjust his game plan to ensure the victory in his final fight.

For a statistical breakdown, please see below:

The final fight on the main card is between the English youngster, Arnold Allen and Finnish fighter Makwan Amirkhani. Amirkhani is a very experienced wrestler and will have the grappling advantage, however, Arnold is part of the generation trained as a Mixed Martial Artist and will be confident wherever the fight goes. With only three losses between them, another win will catapult the victor towards the rankings.

For a statistical breakdown, please see below:

Significant strikes and grappling stats sourced via FightMetric.

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